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Ukraine, and particularly the Crimean Peninsula,
has large Russian populations that Vladimir Putin claims to be protecting.
“I reiterate, we are talking about protecting our citizens and compatriots, about protecting the most fundamental human right – the right to live and nothing more.”
- Russian foreign minister

And HERE ARE THE NATURAL GAS PIPELINES FLOWING FROM RUSSIA TO EUROPE…
Of the roughly 160 billion cubic meters of natural gas that Russia sold to Europe last year, which equated to a quarter of European demand, roughly half traveled through Ukrainian pipelines.
Source: Agence France-Presse

According to Bloomberg News, “After making a natural gas discovery in neighboring Romania that may flow fast enough to supply half of that country’s consumption, [ExxonMobil] plans exploration in Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine.”

is so confident of prospects in the unexplored Black Sea that it was planning to spend $735 million to drill just two deep-water wells off Ukraine’s coast.
At present, the Black Sea is one of the last frontiers in the oil and natural gas industries. At present, there are fewer than 100 wells drilled, compared with more than 7,000 in the North Sea.
Exxon Mobil

As I’ve already noted, the Crimean Peninsula is a critically important for Russia’s navy.
Its Black Sea naval fleet is headquartered there, and the peninsula controls entry to and egress from the Sea of Azoz.
To make matters worse for Russia, the majority of the Black Sea coastline is held by NATO allies -- that is, Russia’s geopolitical adversaries.
“Put simply, without a naval base in Crimea. Russia is finished as a global military power.”- Greg Satell, Forbes

Aside from the present and future significance of Ukraine, the country also
“looms LARGE in Russian history.”
“It was the site of THE CRIMEAN WAR fought in the 1850’s against the French, British, and Ottoman Empire. Although Russia lost, the bravery of its soldiers is still a source of Russian pride, MUCH LIKE THE ALAMO IN TEXAS.”
- Greg Satell, Forbes
Remember the Alamo Crimean Peninsula!!!!

Last but not least, the consequences of invading Ukraine are likely to be de minimis.
In the first case, the Ukrainian army is no match for Russian military might.
And in the second case, the Western world, and particularly the United States, appear extremely reluctant to intervene given the recent past – Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Egypt – and power of the potential adversary – Russia.
Not Vladimir Putin